Humidifier.



H. L. LOHEIDE.'

HUMIDIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. |915.

1, 1 68,941.8.y Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

HERMAN L. LoHEIDE, or sT. LoUIs, M'IssfoUEI, AssIGNon To LOIIEIDE mANUFAc- TURIN@ comrANnor sT. LoUIs, mIssoUItI, A coaronATIoN or MIssgoUnI.

HUMIDIFIER. i

Specication of Letters Patent,

vrasanten Jan. 18, 1916.,

Application led May 22, 191'5. Serial Ilo. 29,736.-

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that l, HERMAN L. LOHEIDE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Humidifiers, of which the following` is a specification.

his invention relates to humidifiers for any useful purpose, `but in the form illustrated in the drawings is intended to act as a moistener for cigars in a show-ease or store-room or any other situation.

Heretofore scores of different kinds of devices have been suggested and used for this purpose, among which may be mentioned open vessels of water, closed vessels containing water with means for permitting the evaporation thereof into the atmosphere of the show-case or the like, damp Sponges, damp cotton, damp mineral wool, damp Afibrous materials of various kinds, such, for

instance, as felt, wood, etc. One great objection to all such materials is that they mold or rot, and their decomposition taints the atmosphere and imparts thereby an unpleasant taste to the tobacco. In addition, they are awkward to handle and not suitable for shipment in compactform.

p The present invention is a prepared package suitable for shipment in most compact form and adapted for instant` useupon delivery. It is not' made from organic material that will decompose, nor is there in it any material that can rot. Among its features are those of a specially absorbent material which by test has been found especially suitable for this purpose ,and a closetting shell adapted to protect the said absorbent material from fracture, disintegration, or abrasion, and yet adapted to permit of evaporation of the moisture contained within the said absorbent body. hand, this absorbent bodyis-adapted to receive and hold an unusually high proportion ofg'water, and,'on the other hand, to evolve the same slowly by evaporation, so as to provide an even moisture for the atmosphere of a show-case without drippings whereby the articles displayed in the show-case may become wet.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which like numbers of'reference denote like parts wherever they occur, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my. improved humidifier, with the metal On the one casing partly broken away; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2.2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 1s a longitudinal sectional view on the line 3-3, Fig. 1; Fig.l 4 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of part of theside wall of the metal casing; and Fig.A 5 is a sec.- tional View, on the line 5-.5, Fig. 4.

The` block or core of porous absorbent material 1 is inclosed within an aluminum casing having a body ortion 2 and ends 3. The body portion 2 of) this aluminum shell is pierced with innumerable perforations 4, through whichV the moisture contained in the core l is allowed to evaporate for the pur- `pose of humidifying the atmosphere in the show-case, room, or other space in which moisture is desired.

Each end`3 and the body portion 2 of the shell 'fit closely to and around the core 1, thereby 'preventing its movement in any direotion andthus preventing abrasion and disintegration. The shell as a whole, being made of aluminum, is strong enough to protect the core 1 from fracture. The ends 3 have ianges 5, which are adapted Ato absorb shock and thus to protect 'thecore 1 in case the device as a whole is accidentally dropped upon the Hoor or similar place, andv alights upon one of said flanges 5.

` Being of aluminum, the shell as a whole imparts an attractive appearance to the device, making it suitable for display for its useful purpose within a cigarv show-case or the like without detracting from the appearance of the show-case or its'contents. The presence-of wet Sponges in saucers or other dishes in a show-Lease has' in the past proved ofensiveto customers.

The particular'material of'which thecore 1y is composed is a mixture of diatomaceous earth (otherwise known as kieselguhr) and cork, fragments of' cork being mixed with the kieselguhr in comminuted form, and heat being then applied to a temperature and for a length of time that will ar the cork and .then consume the cork ichareoal Without f lated, it

the earth before baking. I do not limit myself to a core which has been formed by baking -diatomaceous earth with cork or other combustible fragments embodied therein, but merely prefer to use cork or similar material in the manner and for the purpose herein described. The cores that have been tested in these devices have been found to absorb from one and one-fourth (1%) toone andv one-half, (1%) times their Weight, and, as'their porosity can be increased and reguis likely that in actual practice the same Will Without much variation be adapted to absorb regularly one and one-half (1%) times their `Weight of Water. It is statedjby scientific authorities that ieselguhr absorbs more fluid than any other known material; I have discovered its consequent especial suitability for the use toV Which I 'am applying it as hereinbefore stated. lThe composition ofkieselguhr is of diatoms, Which may be generally described as minute vegetable cells which are rendered hard by silica or by being invested with a vsilicious epidermal covering. Whileno attempt Will be here made to describe with .eX- actness their nature or structure, yet 'it may be said that diatomaceous earth results from diatoms which, so far as theirv organic part is concerned, perished ages ago, leaving their impress or cellular form upon their silicious or other inorganic surroundings. Extensive fossil deposits of the silicious remains of diatomaceae occur in various localities, as at Bilin 4in Bohemia, and in Virginia, Nevada, and California, and diatomaceous earth is derived from these fossil deposits. Another name for diatomaceousl earth is infusorial earth, which is described-by authorities as `ticles of cork and a very fine White earth resembling magnesia, but composed largely of the microscopic silicious shells of the vegetable organwisms called diatoms.

amount of Water, it nevertheless floats in surrounding Water.

' -Besides use in tobacco show-cases or in cabinet humidiiers or in store-rooms for to'-` bacco or in similar places for moistening other articles that become injured by too great dryness of the atmosphere, humidifiersl ofthe kind illustrated in the drawings are adapted to beused to moisten the air in 'rooms heated by steam radiators orthe like kor any other means that produce undue dryness of the atmosphere.

Humidifiers of the kind herein described may be laid upon their side, stood upon end, supported by a bracket or brackets, or suspended by lchains or other suitable means.

I claim:

1. A of a mass of diatomaceous earth and parbaked to incinerate the cork particles. y.

2. A core body for humidierscomposed of diatomaceous formedl therein by incorporating the cork in the' mass and subsequently exposing the mass .to heat sufiicient to incinerate the cork.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aliix my signature.

-I-IERMAN L." LOHEIDE.

core body for humidiers composed' earth and cork, having cells 

